Signing Alzner Signs With Montreal

[for Pete's sake]

2 minutes ago, Machine of Loving Grace said:

He also fell in the lineup in usage, almost to the point of being a #7 for Washington in the playoffs. His groin issues might not be fully healed. 

Didn't he break his hand?

[Machine of Loving Grace]

2 minutes ago, for Pete's sake said:

Didn't he break his hand?

He had surgery on a partial groin tear in 2016. 

[dlbalr]

Just now, Machine of Loving Grace said:

He had surgery on a partial groin tear in 2016. 

 

Yes, but he also broke his hand in the first round of this postseason.

[Zowpeb]

Great signing that will also help to keep Price motivated to stick around.  Even the contract structure looks good...at the end of year three he's also a trade commodity if they need to go down that path.  

 

I love Markov but wouldn't want to see him making over $5m a year and max a 3 year deal given his age and injury history.  If that's too little for him then go another route.  

 

Also, Radulov's term request is ridiculous, can't believe people are wanting him signed for 6 years.  ?

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Think about it. Montreal just signed a guy already broken for five years. We have to hope his groin heals and doesn't get re-injured, while also dealing with broken hands that will never truly heal. 

 

“Sometimes where you get hit right in the hand, we have gloves on, but they only protect you a little bit,” Alzner continued. “You get them right in the hand, it’s pretty easy to break something. It’s kind of embarrassing, but my wife (Mandy) is the one who opens up all the jars in our house because my hands have been broken so many times from the shots. I’ve got pretty weak hands now.”

[xXx..CK..xXx]

4 hours ago, Link67 said:

As far as i'm concerned, Schlemko replaced Beaulieu for less and brings a similar game. Alzner replaced Emelin for similar dollars and a similar game but more effective.

 

Now its either Markov, or whoever is going to replace him, I keep seeing the mindset that Alzner is coming to replace Markov but he is not, He is replacing Emelin. We lost Emelin for nothing and we gained Alzner for nothing. Safe to say I'd rather have Alzner playing where Emelin was supposed to slot in all day any day.

 

Its easy to turn this signing negative by twisting it around as Alzner replacles Markov but that is insanity, they are completely different players. I doubt very seriously that MB thinks Alzner will slot in everywhere Markov did, on the top Pair, on the PP, and not play any PK. Look at it that way and ask yourself if it is even possible other than blinding yourself to biased levels of hate for MB, that he could possibly think that. Alzner is coming in to be a physical stay at home presence who can log huge minutes on the PK and eat minutes against top players when paired with a puck mover. Does that sound ANYTHING like what Markov would be asked to do if he was still here? or does it sound like what Emelin would be asked to do if he was still here? 

 

Come on guys..

That's all fine and dandy if you think Markov and Weber should be your top pairing defenseman or if you wanted Markov off the team as soon as next season. My hope for this season would have been to see Markov and Petry on the second pairing and to acquire an upgrade on the top pairing rather than signing upgrades for Beaulieu and Emelin.

 

I love Markov but as a result of this signing, it might be smartest to let him walk now and sign/trade for another younger top 2 caliber defenseman if they're even out there. With that context in place I can't say I love the deal until I see who Markov's replacement will be.

 

Alzner is a good defensive defenseman so on its own it's not a bad signing. I just don't think it was a priority of ours to acquire one and it still leaves question marks. Last year I wanted Markov on the top pairing and I even suggested it. This season, I was hoping to see change on the top pairing but not at the expense of losing Markov altogether. 

[for Pete's sake]

14 minutes ago, Machine of Loving Grace said:

Think about it. Montreal just signed a guy already broken for five years. We have to hope his groin heals and doesn't get re-injured, while also dealing with broken hands that will never truly heal. 

 

 

 

I'd say if he played all 82 in 16/17 the groin is fine. As for the hand, I'm guessing it was more of a fracture since he played afterward anyway

I get what your saying, that eventually all this usage is may render him a lesser player in the near future. The troublesome injuries haven't slowed down Pacioretty. Some guys are thoroughbreds and able to manage minor injuries. Alzner seems to be one of these

 

Edit: Sorry Machine of Loving Grace, I didn't see your quoted info about Alzner and his hand....new to the forum. Hmmm hopefully he wasn't being literal in that was more of an anecdote

Edited July 1, 2017 by for Pete's sake

[Neech]

Thanks for the positive spin, dlbalr.  Is there an explanation for why his shot numbers were so bad, was he out against the other team's best players?

 

[dlbalr]

Just now, Neech said:

Thanks for the positive spin, dlbalr.  Is there an explanation for why his shot numbers were so bad, was he out against the other team's best players?

 

I'd imagine that has something to do with it.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

So Bergevin gets a Boston reject in the Morrow signing. Then a Toronto reject with Peter Holland. Logically...the next signing is Chris Neil?

[Zowpeb]

21 minutes ago, Lovett's Magnatones said:

So Bergevin gets a Boston reject in the Morrow signing. Then a Toronto reject with Peter Holland. Logically...the next signing is Chris Neil?

 

You'd rather they don't sign any depth players for the minors?  Every team does this every year.  Calling fringe players "rejects" is pointless.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

13 minutes ago, Zowpeb said:

 

You'd rather they don't sign any depth players for the minors?  Every team does this every year.  Calling fringe players "rejects" is pointless.

 

I don't think those criticisms are serious, they're just ricochets off general frustration with zero news on the Radu/Markov/top-2 C fronts.

[TheDriveFor25]

I don't understand the hate for this signing.. it's great. He's a great addition at a reasonable rate. 

 

Even if Markov comes back, Alzner is the second best defender on the team for less than 5 a year. 

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

3 minutes ago, TheDriveFor25 said:

I don't understand the hate for this signing.. it's great. He's a great addition at a reasonable rate. 

 

Even if Markov comes back, Alzner is the second best defender on the team for less than 5 a year. 

 

As I implied above, the real issue isn't with this reasonable (if too-long) contract, it's with what Bergevin *hasn't* done, at least so far. 

[Machine of Loving Grace]

13 minutes ago, TheDriveFor25 said:

I don't understand the hate for this signing.. it's great. He's a great addition at a reasonable rate. 

 

Even if Markov comes back, Alzner is the second best defender on the team for less than 5 a year. 

 

If Markov doesn't come back, we have two defenceman in seven that can by any metric drive offensive scoring.

 

Weber can, Petry can, Alzner can't, Schlemko can't, Benn can't, Davidson can't, Jerabek maybe.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

3 hours ago, Zowpeb said:

 

You'd rather they don't sign any depth players for the minors?  Every team does this every year.  Calling fringe players "rejects" is pointless.

 

To be fair, Morrow has a one way deal. We're assuming he's going to be waived. Holland has a two way deal that turns into a one way deal in the second year. I wonder if Bergevin is just trolling the fan base now? It's not enough to sign fifty dweebs a year to fill the 4th line/#6. Now he has to fill them with our rivals rejects. I hate this man!

[ch_nl]

I love this signing!

 

Alzner been some kind of favourite for a long time. Now losing Emelin doesn't feel bad at all. Habs just got better, now it's just time to convince Markov to take a cut, and be a part of a team that can make it all the way.

 

Then sign Radulov.

 

Then solve the Galchenuy-case. If it will be by sign-n-trade or (Duchene?) or give him a last chance to play center with Drouin as linemate. And if it doesn't work figure out a trade as time goes by.

 

 

[Neech]

5 hours ago, TheDriveFor25 said:

 

 

Even if Markov comes back, Alzner is the second best defender on the team for less than 5 a year. 

 

I don't know how 13 point Alzner is better than 36 point Markov, who is still very strong defensively.  We frankly can't afford to lose him, and Alzner isn't anywhere near a replacement if we do.

 

 

[hab29RETIRED]

1 hour ago, Neech said:

 

I don't know how 13 point Alzner is better than 36 point Markov, who is still very strong defensively.  We frankly can't afford to lose him, and Alzner isn't anywhere near a replacement if we do.

 

 

What I don't get is how a defensive dman who had an injury filled year (and may not be fully recovered) gets more term than shattenkirk, who was considered the prized UFA available.

 

its curious the term and $ that MB has thrown at a middle pair dman this year and a 3rd line winger (Shaw) last year.  But we're supposed to be happy that he is trying to make the lavel team (which is still hampered by his horrible buddy that will be behind the bench).

[Guest Stogey24]

7 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said:

What I don't get is how a defensive dman who had an injury filled year (and may not be fully recovered) gets more term than shattenkirk, who was considered the prized UFA available.

 

its curious the term and $ that MB has thrown at a middle pair dman this year and a 3rd line winger (Shaw) last year.  But we're supposed to be happy that he is trying to make the lavel team (which is still hampered by his horrible buddy that will be behind the bench).

Another immobile D-man

 

You thought they were boring last year. Just wait when they're hemmed in their own end game after game 

[Lovett's Magnatones]

19 minutes ago, Stogey24 said:

Another immobile d-core man

 

You thought they were boring last year. Just wait when they're hemmed in their own end game after game 

 

Just wait until 2021 when Weber is washed up, Alzner looks like Murray Baron, Shaw is on permanent LTIR, and fans are still talking about how Carey Price was worth 11 million in 2015...

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

55 minutes ago, Lovett's Magnatones said:

 

Just wait until 2021 when Weber is washed up, Alzner looks like Murray Baron, Shaw is on permanent LTIR, and fans are still talking about how Carey Price was worth 11 million in 2015...

 

Ha ha, remember the early years when we used to talk about how MB was out to build a 'pernanent contender?' ???

[Davehab]

Signing Alzner means that the second pairing is set with him and Petry. This also means that petry is going to have to play more offensively from now on because he is the only guy in the top four that has a good transition game.   

 

That being said, Petry can be scary when he is relied on to carry too much of the offence.  I've always thought he makes mistakes when his ice time gets too high. 

 

Lets hope that there is something else coming on D. To help spread the puck possession around. 

[dlbalr]

7 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said:

What I don't get is how a defensive dman who had an injury filled year (and may not be fully recovered) gets more term than shattenkirk, who was considered the prized UFA available.

 

Shattenkirk left term (and some money) on the table to sign with the Rangers, the team he wanted to join all along. 

[Lovett's Magnatones]

50 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

Ha ha, remember the early years when we used to talk about how MB was out to build a 'pernanent contender?' ???

 

I laud him for that goal. You have to think big. Sounds like Trump saying "we will win so much, we will get tired of all the winning." But he lost sight of what he had and didn't make the final steps when the team was close. I remember the early deadline days when he sat on his thumbs to create a teachable moment. I also remember complaining about DD, Plekanec, and Eller at center. Those guys (at the time) are better than what we have now by a mile.

 

I have this theory on GMs, that the further they get from their hire, the more they lose their vision and turn inward. When he signs players like Byron Froese that he scouted in Chicago, it makes it seem like he's stuck in the hey-day of the Western Conference. Then, the other theory I have, is when GMs take over a new team, they can spend up to two years fixing obvious mistakes. These moves go over with the fans, as they should, but in the long term, scouting/development/results become the yard stick. As Michel Therrien would say, MB vs a real deal GM like Peter Chiarelli, Ray Shero, or Stan Bowman is "mens against boys."

 

My fear is that the Habs have become just another crappy Canadian team. It's easy to envision a poor man's Vancouver where we try to win with Weber and Carey Price when they're a billion years old.